Shark Infested Water
by OneLastBird
Summary: “You are not a monster, my son. No matter how different you are, you’re still human, and though other people may forget that, you must promise me you never will...”
1. Small Fry

_This may end up being AU, depending on how the Manga goes._

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There is a small building at the heart of the Village Hidden in the Mist that holds as much, if not more, respect than the Mizukage's palace. It had better. It belongs to a tradition within the country of Water that is far older than the Village itself.

Some would call it a temple. Others would argue that 'temple' is not an appropriate title for the home of the country's deadliest warriors. However, not many people actually knew from experience what name it deserved, as only a select few were even allowed to enter. So when the seven men stood, sat, scowled, or lounged around their honored meeting hall to discuss the outcome of a recent mission, the appearance of the groundskeeper was not appreciated.

"Pardon my intrusion," the old man said calmly. He took in the hostility that was directed at him, but did not waver as he bowed to the tallest of them. The man he faced was clad in a high-collared cloak of grey cloth accented with blue waves around the sleeves and hem. The towering figure nodded, a gesture barely visible beneath his matching wide brimmed hat.

The groundskeeper went on. "Lord Hoshigaki," he said, "a message has just arrived requesting your immediate presence… elsewhere.

Instead of questioning this cryptic statement, the man said, "Very well." He cheerfully told his peers to continue without him as he followed the messenger out. A couple of them scoffed and, save for the two wearing ANBU masks, they all looked cross. It was fear of the massive, bandage-wrapped blade on his back that kept them from saying anything. They each had swords of their own of course, but none could match the power of Samehada and its master.

As the two walked through the muffled halls of aged wood and faded paper the old man spoke up. "I truly am sorry for dragging you out of there, old friend."

"Nonsense! I'd rather thank you than forgive you," the shinobi responded. His voice was smooth and fluid, full of humor, with something dangerous lurking underneath. He chuckled, "One would think putting a bunch of killers in a room together would yield more interesting results."

"Yes well, now that you're gone they'll probably be at each other's throats."

He laughed. "I always miss out on the fun parts." A little more seriously, he said, "So, about this message. Is it from the Mizukage?"

"No, your wife." The groundskeeper paused to take in his cloaked companion's reaction. When all he got was silence he pressed on. "As soon as she heard you were back she started demanding you return home at once." He sighed. "That woman… I told you she'd be nothing but trouble."

"No. She knows better than to interrupt these meetings." They exited the building and quickly crossed the small garden. "Whatever this is about, it is important."

The swordsman stopped just past the gate and nodded to his friend in thanks. He held up the two first fingers of his left hand to activate a water teleportation jutsu, and in a splash, he vanished and reappeared on the pond outside his house.

He slid the ornately painted back door open and closed with a deliberate 'thunk.' Before he could even take three steps, there came a cry of "That you Fish Freak?!?"

He chuckled and answered, "Yes Uni, it's me."

A young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties stalked into the room with her hands on her hips and a frustrated scowl on her face. She had curly blond hair and pale gold eyes, and was beautiful up until she bared the dangerously pointed teeth that are so common to clans of the Mist.

"Damn," she said, "I was hoping you were someone else and I could kill you."

"Nice to see you too, darling." Her husband kept the humor in his voice even as he took in her wild and worn out state. He truly believed the woman was incapable of fear, and yet now she looked downright shaken. It had him worried to say the least. "So…" he tried to casually approach the subject, "what's the emergency?"

She moved without warning, and in two steps had swiped the hat off his cringing head. All the while she was muttering, "You know I hate this bloody thing Hisato… can't see your face worth crap…"

"That's the point," he said. He opened his collar and stared after her with a small smirk as she hung the hat in its honored place on the wall. It was much harder to tell his age, but he looked on the older side. His hair was royal blue. It spilled from his forehead protector in long, wispy locks. His skin was pale and also had the slightest blue tinge to it, so that he looked like he was suffering of hypothermia. He had eyes of black that were open as wide as they could go, and just beneath them each cheek was decorated with three gills. He was definitely not what most would call attractive.

He came into the room and took off his sword and cloak, leaning the former against the wall and hanging the latter just beneath the hat. After taking the time to notice just how frantic his wife was, he tried again to get to the bottom of what was happening. "Uni," he said more firmly than he had before, "Not that I'm complaining, but you did pull me out of an important meeting. Was there a reason for that or did you simply wish to rant at me?"

"I haven't left this rathole of a house for days! DAYS!!!" She was trembling with the effort of not smashing a nearby piece of purple coral as it also happened to be a priceless heirloom. He gently took hold of her arms and didn't flinch when she did the same, digging in with her nails. She lowered her head and finally mumbled, "It's the brat."

He frowned. "Okay… what did you do to him?"

"Nothing!" Her eyes flashed viciously, and then narrowed when she saw his doubt. "What?" she snapped. "You don't think I'm capable of caring for my own child?"

He sighed. Leaning forward, he touched his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry, goldfish. Of course I don't think that." He pulled back to meet her eyes and said, "Now, what's wrong?"

"That's just it! Nothing is wrong! The brat won't stop crying, but I can't find anything wrong!"

"Did you call a medic?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. They couldn't find anything either… bunch of useless quacks. Hell, I even got that stinking Fusao in here, but he just said everything was fine and left."

"Did he now?" He developed a thoughtful look. Fusao and Uni didn't get along, but he knew Fusao wouldn't brush off something important. If he thought it was nothing, than it was probably a simple bloodline issue. "How is he?" Hisato asked.

"Fusao? He's an idiot. Wish he'd die. Why?"

He chuckled. "I mean how is our son?"

"He's in bed, sniveling like a wimp."

"Awake?"

"Probably. I had to give him some stuff just so he'd sleep through the night."

Hisato nodded. "I'll go see what I can do for him."

She rolled her eyes again and, trying to sound casual, said, "Whatever. Do what you want."

He made his quick and sure way through the painted halls of his house until he came to a door decorated with a bunch of blue people frolicking beneath a starry sky, fishing in the nearby ocean, and taunting various sea monsters. Softly he opened it and stepped into a room walled by similar murals. In the center of the floor was a futon containing the bundled and trembling form of a child. His concern instantly grew when he sensed the chaos of the boy's chakra.

"Hey there, small fry," he said as he approached his son.

"Daddy?" murmured a tiny voice. The blankets shifted to reveal a head with teal blue hair, pale skin, and wide, tear-filled eyes of the same gold as his mother's.

The boy sat up as his father knelt by him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It hurts," he whimpered. With a sob he moved forward and clung to the folds of his father's shirt.

Hisato allowed the boy to cry like this for a few moments before carefully moving him back. "There now. What hurts?"

The boy's wide eyes scrunched into a look of frustration that could have rivaled Uni's. He broke eye contact and wrapped his arms around himself as he thought of how to answer. "All of me," he finally said.

A crease formed on Hisato's brow as he watched his son continue to stare at the floor and shake with silent sobs. He watched as the big tears welled up and slid down the boy's cheek. That's when his sharp eyes picked up on something strange. He ran a thumb just under the boy's right eye and felt the three linear grooves that were forming there.

In a way, he was relieved. Now he knew what was wrong. However, there was still a problem. This was all normal for those of the Hoshigaki bloodline, except that it usually didn't occur until the age of six or seven. The solution was simple enough, but the questing was: how do you teach the concept of chakra control to a child who just turned three?

"Do you know what chakra is?" Hisato ventured.

A quick shake from his son's head and he was cursing inwardly. "Well it's like… air," he tried. "You can't see it or touch it, but you can feel it inside of you. Understand?"

The boy responded with a big sniffle and a few more tears.

He sighed. "Come here." He scooted his son into his lap and placed one of his big hands over the boy's stomach. "Chakra comes from deep in here, but it moves all over inside you. Right now there's too much out, and that hurts, so you have to put it away. Understand?"

When his son's head shook this time, the curse Hisato thought up was much higher on the vulgarity scale. He ran his free hand through his hair in frustration. Desperately he tried to come up with some way to explain this.

"It's like your toy box," he doubtfully tried. "If you take the toys out and leave them lying around, your mother yells at you, right?"

The boy nodded his head.

"And that's no good. Is it?"

He shook his head rapidly.

"So if you don't want that to happen, you have put your toys away. Chakra is the same. If you don't keep it put away, bad stuff happens and it hurts. Okay?"

Finally, a nod of comprehension.

"Good," Hisato said with a proud smile. Now all he had to do was teach the kid control. "I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath." When the boy did this he waited a moment and said, "Good. Now let it out. I want you to do that again but as you put air in your lungs, you have to put all the hurting feelings deep in your tummy at the same time."

He held his own breath as his son sucked in air, and sure enough he sensed a tiny, but noticeable trickle of chakra make its way into the child's chakra coils. It all made its way back out when the breath was released, but it was still a step in the right direction. They repeated this a few more times until most of the chakra was being 'put away' and then he said, "You're doing so well, small fry! And I bet that when you hold your breath it doesn't hurt as much does it?"

"Uh-huh." The child managed to sound a little pleased with himself rather than completely despondent.

"This time, when your breath out I need you to think very hard about keeping the hurt feelings in. Can you do that for me?"

There was a thoughtful pause, and then, "Uh-huh."

It took a few tries, but finally enough of the child's chakra was stabilized that he was no longer in pain.

Before Hisato knew it, his son's breathing evened out and he realized the child in his arms was sound asleep. Gently he laid the child back down, tucked his blanket around him, and rose to leave the room.

Once back in the living area, he found Uni sitting at their low table. She had a bottle of sake out, a cupful already poured that she was glaring at as though it was insulting her. As soon as he entered the room her head snapped up and she asked, "Well? Is he alright? Should we call the medics again? Is he-"

"He is fine," he cut in. "Merely worn out."

"Worn out? Worn out things don't constantly-"

"If you'll let me explain?" he cut in again. He sat down across from her and gave a worried sigh. "Do you remember that discussion we had about the changes we can expect as he gets older?"

"The whole 'turning into a Fish Freak' thing?"

One side of Hisato's mouth quirked into an amused smirk. "Yes, that. It seems these changes have begun earlier than expected and they were causing him some pain."

She stared at him blearily and said, "Some pain? So you're saying our son really is a wimp, then?"

He understood where she was coming from. He knew she had grown up a true ninja of the Bloody Mist, but he couldn't help the bite in his voice as he answered. "I'm saying that our toddler has more chakra than most genin, and that it was burning him from the inside."

He was pleased to see the comprehension in her eyes as she asked, "Will he be alright?"

"He should be. I taught him the basics of control and he grasped it easily enough. As long as we start training and he keeps it up there won't be anymore problems."

She gaped at him and said, "You... you taught a three-year-old chakra control?"

He responded with a satisfied smile.

"Holy shrimp-nuggets..." she breathed in awe.


	2. Squid Bait

Uni stood uncomfortably outside the academy, holding her diminutive seven-year-old by the hand, and as she looked around at the other parents and their children, she couldn't help but wish her husband was there. He was always better at the whole parent thing than she was, but he'd been called to settle some 'dire battle' at the last minute and here she was.

When she looked down at her son, she noticed the tightness around his eyes that was the only indication he was in pain. She realized it was probably because she was squeezing his little fingers too hard. He didn't complain. Her fears that he would turn out a wimp were mostly assuaged, helped greatly by the fact that barely a day went by when he wasn't almost getting himself killed. If he wasn't being attacked by a squid, he was falling off a mountain, or sneaking _kunai _for 'practice,' or playing with his water clones until he passed out. Still, since that rough period when his chakra first spiked he hardly ever complained.

With a sigh, she let his hand go and ruffled his hair instead. He looked up at her with her own eyes and something constricted in her chest. This tiny blue wonder was hers! Hers! Even after all these years the sheer amount of feeling that came with him still caught her off guard.

She grinned toothily and winked. He smiled in return and went back to observing his peers.

She did as well, and started worrying that he was the smallest one there. When asked about it, Hisato simply said that "sometimes the biggest things start out small," and assured her he would be dwarfing everybody in no time. Right now, though, she feared that his size would make him an easy target. Not that his appearance would help. Throw in the whole 'everybody hates the Hoshigaki' thing and you have a prime bullying victim.

Speaking of hate, she noticed that one of the parents was eyeing him with a particularly nasty scowl. It was a tall, red haired, green eyed man who was standing a few meters away with what was probably his daughter, if her matching hair and eyes were any indication. The poor girl looked like she was going to be sick, and he wasn't even paying her any mind.

Uni knew who he was. It's hard not to know a celebrated war hero. Yet the battle that gained him that distinction had also ended his career, and he'd been an angry, bitter drunk ever since. She caught his eye and scowled right back until he looked away.

Worries at their peak, she decided to play the motherly role her way. "Hey, squid bate," she hissed at her son. He looked up at her again, curiosity written all over his face. "You remember that discussion you had with your father last night?" She smirked when he nodded. "Not that I want you to ignore it completely, but if any of these reprobates try anything you have my permission to use those _taijutsu_ moves we practiced on them." For Hisato's sake she added, "But only the non-lethal ones, and only if they attack first."

He nervously adjusted his backpack on his shoulders and muttered, "Okay, Mom."

Just as a woman started ushering the children into the low, cylindrical building she said, "Chin up. You'll do fine."

His shoulders stiffened. Apparently he heard the unspoken 'or else.'

He walked off to join the others and Uni stayed where she was, resigned to wait. Once the induction was over, the children who didn't make it would be brought back out, and if her son wasn't amongst them, she would go home. She felt as nervous as some of the other parents looked, though it wasn't because she feared he would fail.

* * *

The hundred or so children were filed into a small auditorium where a number of them scrambled to get seats next to their friends or acquaintances. The rest jostled for anything that wasn't too close to the front as the pretty, dark haired woman who had lead them made her way through.

"Alright, everyone. Settle down," she said. "I would like to welcome you all to the Hidden Mist Ninja Academy, where you will no doubt prove yourselves to be fine shinobi and grow to meet the excellent standard that our Village is known for... _if_ you pass this first test." She allowed a pause so her audience could exchange frightened words before she called for order and pressed on. "Show of hands, how many of you are not aware that this Academy's graduation exam is a fight to the death?" There was a grave silence around the room and not a hand went up. "Good. Now, I know that you're young and that most of you don't know what it means to take a life or fear to loose your own, but by the end of your time here you will. That is why, every year we test our new students to see that they possess the potential and fortitude to face death itself and graduate."

By the end of this speech, most of the class were hanging on every word. Only a handful looked either lost or bored.

The woman picked up a clip board off the front desk and said, "When I call your name, you will go through this door behind me to where the examiner is waiting. Once your examination is complete, you will return to your desk and the next name will be called. There will be no talking, passing notes, or communication of any kind. Anyone caught doing so will be immediately removed from this classroom and will not be returning. Am I clear?"

Based on the silence, she was transparent. When the first name was called, a blond girl near the back got up and walked confidently through the door, but when she returned a few minutes later she was deathly pale and pasty. Everyone exchanged worried glances as she stumbled back to her spot and sat there trembling.

It went on like this. The list of names was not in any discernible order, so the kids never knew if they would be next. Often when returning to the room, they were in shock, sometimes even in tears, and twice someone didn't come back at all.

They were just over halfway done when the woman called "Hoshigaki Kisame," and a couple of snickers broke out over the unusual name. They boy it belonged to ducked further into the high collar of his jacket in embarrassment. With a resigned sigh he rose and tried to ignore the eyes that were on him as he made his way to the front of the class.

He went through the door and found himself in an empty room. The walls were plain and windowless, and a single caged bulb hanging from the ceiling provided the only light. It looked like an unused storage closet.

Immediately Kisame noticed that there was no examiner. Wasn't there supposed to be an examiner? He was still right at the door and he didn't want to go any further into the room. In fact he wanted out of there, but he figured he'd get in trouble if he left before he completed the test... whatever it was. He slowly took a few steps away from the door, his wide eyes looking around for something... anything.

After a minute of nothing happening, he began to relax. Maybe the examiner had left the room somehow? He would just go back and tell the lady what was wrong, but when he turned around he cried out in surprise.

There was a man standing right behind him, tall and imposing. Kisame barely had time to register his presence before he drew a glinting katana and drove it into the boy's stomach.

Kisame looked up at his attacker with his mouth open in a silent scream. He took in the bald head, bushy brown eyebrows and beard, and empty black eyes, and then looked down at the spot where the sword disappeared into his shirt. Blood was weeping around the blade, accompanied by a dull, deep, mind-splitting pain. There was a burning sensation as well, caused by acid spilling from his pierced stomach and eating at the nearby muscle.

He couldn't move. He was dead. This stranger had killed him.

An instant later and he was standing at the door again. His hands flew to his stomach, but there was no wound and only a ghost of the pain remained. When he looked up, the room was no longer empty, but lined with bookshelves and filing cabinets. There in the center was the man who attacked him, sitting on a fold out chair with a clip board in his hand on which he was writing quietly.

Kisame was still panting heavily and covered in cold sweat. He stumbled at first, but managed to keep his feet. "Ex... excuse me," he said to the man he now realized was the examiner, "Did you... what just happened?"

The examiner looked up from his notes. One of his eyebrows rose, causing his hairless forehead to crinkle, and he said, "I don't know. What just happened?" His voice was deep and wheezy.

Calming down now, Kisame wracked through everything his parents had taught him and came to the only possible conclusion. "_Genjutsu_?"

The eyebrow went back down again as the examiner's face returned to neutral. He stroked his beard and stared for a few seconds before finally saying, "You're dismissed. You can go back to your seat."

His legs feeling like they were full of jellyfish, he quickly left the room and made his way back to where he was sitting earlier. He clasped his hands on the desk and stared at them, trying to will them to stop shaking.

Twenty minutes later, the last name was called. When the corresponding kid emerged from the room, he was followed by the examiner. The entire class instantly stiffened. Apparently he put them all through the same ordeal.

Once the last kid was seated he stood before the front desk and said, "When I call your name, you are to rise and go wait in the hall." Then without pause he began to reel off names and the children shakily trickled out.

When he stopped, there were only about forty children left. Kisame was amongst them and he didn't know if it was a good thing. The woman left the room then, and they were alone with the man who made them think he had killed them.

"Congratulations," he said, "Those of you remaining are officially students of the Hidden Mist Ninja Academy. I don't know if you'll want to thank me or condemn me, but you can decide at a later date."

Something peculiar happened to his face. A light seemed to spark to life in his dark eyes, his eyelids crinkled, and his beard twitched. The students realized he was smiling. "Now that that's out of the way, allow me to properly welcome you to your new school. We're going to break for lunch, and then you'll get a full tour, but first I need to introduce myself. You can call me Bonjin-sensei, and I will be your instructor for the next five years."

* * *

When Hisato got home it was to find Uni working on her latest poison in the living area, which translated to 'Uni making a mess.' There was a tray on the mantel that contained a dissected sea urchin, and a bucket on the dining table full of eels. Several verities of plant were strewn about, there was water all over the floor, and some of her concoction had spilled onto a wooden carving, eating through the lacquer and making the elegant whale-shark look like it was infected with cankerous sores.

He sighed and massaged his temples. The servants were going to be at him again... and he rather liked that carving.

"Goldfish, is there a reason why you can't run your experiments in your _lab?"_

She didn't look up from her microscope as she said, "Too closed in. Couldn't breath."

"That's what windows are for."

"Sliding panels are better."

Hisato sighed again and, after moving the bucket of eels to the floor, sat down across the table from her. "We'll have some installed in your lab, then." She made a noncommittal grunt in response. He watched as she used her fingers to extract a long, translucent stringer of eel slime from the bucket and deposit it in a petri dish. "So," he said, "How did it go with Kisame?"

She was prodding the slime with a pair of tweezers and froze. "He's not _here_ is he?" she asked sharply. Her husband didn't answer. Of course he didn't. It was a rhetorical question. She jabbed at the slime a bit more and then slumped her shoulders, giving up. "Maybe you were right. Maybe we should have waited a few more years."

He placed his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. Slowly he said, "You were the one who wanted him to enter at the expected age."

"Yes, but I didn't think I'd feel like this. It didn't seem like a big deal when _I _was seven, but now... someone's hurting my little boy! I want to go in there and turn that bloody teacher into a pincushion!" With that she swept the petri dish off the table hard enough that it sailed outside and smashed against the rocks by the pond.

Hisato smirked and said, "It's too late. You've done such a good job of filling his head with ninja school that if you withdrew him now, he'd never forgive you."

She crossed her arms in a sulk. "Why are you always right?"

"Because I'm older than you," he stated.

* * *

When school was let out, the first year class waited quietly for their parents to pick them up, all except one gray-haired boy who left right away with his older brother. As they walked off he could be heard saying, "It was cool! I wasn't scared at all!" None of the others could make such a claim. They sat or stood apart from each other and didn't talk, a tableau of how to look traumatized.

Kisame sat perched on a railing, his hands clasped between his knees and his legs swinging. He was trying not to stare at the blond haired girl who was sobbing into her mother's arms, when his parents finally arrived. As soon as he saw them he jumped down, ran to them, and promptly buried his face in his father's knees.

Hisato smiled down at him. "Hey there, small fry. It's nice to see you too."

Uni nervously tucked some of her hair behind her ear and asked, "How did your first day go?" in a voice that was softer then she thought possible.

In response, he mumbled into his father's leg warmers, causing the man to chuckled and say, "You need to look up, Kisame. I don't have ears down there."

He did so, his eyes moving from one parent to another. "The teacher used a _genjutsu_! He killed me with a sword, and it hurt worse than the squid!" His voice was shaking, but then his nose wrinkled and he looked more annoyed than frightened. "And at lunch a boy said my name is stupid."

Hisato gave Uni a pointed look that read 'I told you so,' to which she rolled her eyes. He turned back to his son and said, "Never mind that. If someone is low enough to tease people, their opinion doesn't matter."

"Okay," Kisame muttered. "I don't like him though."

"You don't have to like him, just don't give him any attention."

"Okay..."

They headed home then, which was a bit of a trek as the Hoshigaki compound wasn't part of the Village. The adults were pleased to see that their son recovered from the day's trauma quickly and was asking questions about the things he had heard and seen at the school. Despite the scare, his enthusiasm was as strong as ever.

When they hit the hidden pass through the mountains, the three of them broke into a run. Soon they reached the small valley that was called home.

There was a gate that was heavily guarded both by members of the clan and powerful ninjutsu. The guards bowed to their clan leader and his family as they passed. Inside was a grand palace with a blue tiled roof and carved wooden walls displaying endless oceanic motifs. Surrounding the palace were several gardens where birds warbled to one another, and ponds containing a rainbow assortment of koi. Buildings were nestled here and there: houses, servant's quarters, sheds, all with the same blue tiled roofs. At the far end of the valley was a ravine through which a salty breeze carried the sounds of the ocean.

Kisame immediately felt at ease and, suddenly struck by hunger, streaked off to the largest of the houses. He hastily removed his sandals and dashed into the living area, but froze and gaped when he saw the state it was in. His parents entered behind him and he turned and asked, "What happened?"

Hisato wore a serious face as he said, "I ask myself that almost every day," then gave a heavy 'ooph' when his wife elbowed him in the gut.


	3. Blue

It was Kisame's first _proper_ day of school, and he was clad in his usual grey jacket and navy pants. His backpack was heavy as it contained a number of books, some weapons, and his rather large lunch, but he barely noticed the weight as he ran to keep up with his father's long strides. He was glad his Dad was dropping him off this time. It wasn't that he didn't like his Mom, but she was... Mom. Dad was calm, and gentle, and you always knew what to expect from him.

"Here we are," said Hisato. "Now you work hard and have fun today, and remember everything that we talked about."

"Alright Dad," he responded eagerly. He smiled and waved over his shoulder as he ran the rest of the way into the building. Hisato waved back, then turned to speak to a _kunoichi _who had appeared by his side. Kisame noticed she had a huge flat sword on her back, and figured she was one of the Seven Swordsmen.

He didn't head to the auditorium, but to a classroom he had been shown during the tour the day before. When he slid the door open, he was disappointed to find that he was the last to arrive, but then again, none of the other kids lived outside the Village, and at least there was enough laughing and chatter that no one really noticed him slip in. At first he had no idea where to sit. His eyes swept over the other students, looking for the ones who seemed less likely to be mean to him, when he noticed something he had been too nervous to see the day before. There was a white haired boy in a light blue, lotus covered kimono sitting alone two rows from the front, and Kisame knew who he was!

His father was another one of the Seven Swordsman. Because of that, they had met a few times and even played together.

Feeling a little better, Kisame approached him. "Hello. You're Shun, right?"

The boy, Shun, looked at him, startled at being spoken to. Then his face returned to cool neutrality. "Yes, and you're... Kisame?"

Kisame beamed and said, "You remember me!"

"Yes. You're rather hard to forget, being blue and all."

He frowned a little at that, but it didn't sound mean or anything, just matter of fact. His smile returning, he asked, "Um, do you mind if I sit next to you?"

Shun considered it for a moment and shrugged. "Go ahead. I don't care."

Kisame was a little put off by his indifferent demeanor, but was still more than happy to take a seat next to a familiar face.

No sooner had he fallen into his chair did he sense he was being stared at. Immediately he suspected the boy who made fun of his name the day before, but that kid was near the back, chatting away with a couple of others. Instead the eyes that were on him were peering out from under a mop of long, messy red hair that contained a girl. When she realized she was caught, she made a little squeaking sound and buried her face in her arms as though that would hide her from him.

Before he got a chance to ponder this, the teacher walked in. The man took his place at the head of the class and chuckled at the terrible silence that prevailed. They learned the day before that he was actually quite cheerful; quick to smile and laugh. Yet the children remembered his 'introduction' all too well, and none of them were going to let their guard down any time soon.

"Good morning, class," he said enthusiastically, like any normal teacher. After a moment of silence he repeated, "Good morning, class," and this time they responded with a staggered, "Good morning, Bonjin-sensei."

Kisame was sitting at attention, excited and curious about what he was going to learn, but instead of unique _jutsu_ or exciting battle strategies, the teacher launched into an explanation of basic chakra control. Shun glanced at him as he groaned. By the time lunch was called he was bored out of his mind.

As they walked to the cafeteria together Shun said, "I don't know why you didn't like that lesson, I found it rather interesting."

"Are you kidding?" said Kisame. "I've known that stuff since I was _three_."

It was a good thing they were at the back of the group, because Shun stopped suddenly and turned to face Kisame full on. He stopped as well, looking puzzled. Between his unblinking eyes, and Shun's lack of expression they cast quite the scene until Shun finally said, "You shouldn't exaggerate like that. It makes you seem rather big headed." Without waiting for a response, he started walking again.

Kisame wanted very much to protest, but it just wasn't in him. Feeling more and more put out by the kid he had hoped would be his friend, he hung his head and followed along in silence. In the cafeteria he looked around at the different groups that were forming. All but one of the girls were together, and the boys were broken up into small collections here and there. For some reason only his class was in here. Where were the older kids?

Tentatively he asked, "Uh, do you want to sit together again?"

But Shun said, "No. I'm going to sit with some of the others; get to know the rest of the class. You should too."

He cringed. Just the thought of sitting with a bunch of people he didn't know had his heart pounding in his chest, and he had no idea how to talk to these strangers. What if he made a fool of himself? What if he said something wrong? "That's alright," he muttered dejectedly. "You go ahead."

Shun stared at him a bit longer, shrugged, and walked over to the trio of boys that included the one who made fun of him.

Kisame had two options. He could sit at a table by himself, or he could try joining the only other person who was on their own. It was the red haired girl who was staring at him earlier. She was at the far end of the room, eating a meager looking boxed lunch of rice, fish, and pickles. He was curious about her, and talking to one new person felt far less intimidating than to a whole group of them, so he decided to try.

He boldly went up to her and said, "Hi. Can I sit with you? I don't have anyone else either." She stiffened, her food halfway to her mouth, but didn't say yes or no. He took that as a good sign and sat down. He leaned over to get his lunch out of his pack, but when he came back up she was gone.

He spotted her over with the other girls, clutching her lunchbox to her chest and bowing to them. They were giving her weird looks, and yet they made room for her to join them. She kept her back to him, but the others turned and gave him weird looks as well. He jumped and ducked into his collar, wishing he could turn invisible so he wouldn't have to feel the burning of their eyes.

When he dared to look up again, they all had their heads together like their conversation was some important secret. As he watched, they sat back and giggled, then leaned in once more. They looked like they were plotting some mad, girly conspiracy.

The noise of the chattering students and the intermingling odors of their food was quickly becoming overwhelming to Kisame's heightened senses and, hit with a sudden desperate needing to get out of there, he wolfed down his food and fled back to the classroom.

There was half and hour till lunch was over, so he took out the book on sea creatures his mother gave him for his last birthday and continued reading where he left off. This did a good job of putting him at ease, and by the time the others were trickling back in he barely noticed.

He did notice when he felt a displacement of air from behind him that indicated a projectile. He tilted his head on time to let a crumpled wad of paper sail by and hit one of the girls in the front row. She turned around to glare him, and no amount mouthing the words, "It wasn't me!" would convince her. She put one finger to her throat and drew it slowly across in the universal gesture of 'you are _dead_.'

"You shouldn't anger girls," Shun said as he took his seat. "They'll gang up on you."

"I didn't throw it at her!" Kisame whispered frantically.

"Yes, but it would've been better to let it hit you. Trust me. I have five sisters, so I know... Nice dodge, by the way."

"Thanks..." said Kisame. All conversation in the room ended with the arrival of Bonjin-sensai, who continued his dull lecture on chakra.

About 20 minutes later, Kisame came out of his boredom induced stupor as he realized that the teacher was actually saying something interesting.

"...by nature creates change. Enough chakra can even cause drastic changes to the body, which is the point of many _jutsus_ you will learn. Also if a person has enough chakra in their body naturally, these changes become permanent. This is the origin of many clan traits; such as the famous sharp 'Kiri-teeth' that I see a number of you possess. These changes depend on the amount of chakra, the location it's focused on, and its nature, which we won't get into for a few years yet." He paused then and looked over the class. "Based on this, who of you do you think has the _most_ chakra?"

Kisame turned his head from side to side, trying to figure out who it was, and was nearly knocked out of his seat when Shun's hand shot into the air.

"Yes, Mr. Shen?" acknowledged Bonjin.

Much to Kisame's alarm, Shun pointed at him and said, "It's Kisame, right? Is that why he's blue?"

There was that twitch in Bonjin's beard which meant he was smiling. "Yes indeed. Mr. Hoshigaki's clan is the perfect example of how a large amount of chakra can have obvious effects on appearance." His voice took on a pointedness then. "If you graduate, you will meet enemy shinobi who share this 'visible overabundance,' but you must keep in mind that they are no less _human_ than Mr. Hoshigaki here. They can be hurt, just like the rest of us."

With that he pressed on to other subjects. Kisame's head was down and his face burning in leu of so much attention, and yet he couldn't help but be slightly pleased. He knew he had a lot of chakra, but to have the most in the class? It made him feel special.

Ten minutes later and the talk of chakra came to a close. Bonjin-sensei stretched his back and said, "Now that you've had an introduction to the fundamental force of the ninja world, we can spend the rest of the year learning about the many ways to use it, such as... _jutsu_." Instantly the children were sitting up and fidgeting excitedly. "To start, does anyone already know a _jutsu_ they would like to share with the class?"

Normally Kisame would be happy to sit back out of the limelight, but he was heartened by the earlier praise and felt he was expected to prove himself worthy of it. On top of that, he was expressly forbidden by his father to do anything like this unless the teacher asked him to. This would be a rare opportunity to show off his Water Clones.

If anyone else knew a _jutsu,_ they weren't volunteering, so his hand was the first to tentatively rise. When he was called on he walked down to the front with surprising confidence. He stood with his hands in the proper sign, focused his chakra, released it_,_ and... nothing.

Before he could figure out what was wrong, the teacher said, "Mr. Hoshigaki is displaying the perfect form to create a Water Clone, but it's a hard technique to do when there's no water."

There was rampant snickering from the class. The girls in the front row looked alarmed when Kisame's face turned purple, but when they realized it was because he was blushing they broke into wild giggles. The one who'd been hit with the wad of paper was absolutely delighted.

"What a moron," someone whispered. A normal person wouldn't have caught it amongst the laughter, but Kisame's eyes zeroed in on the boy who had made fun of his name, and who was smirking at him cruelly. Suddenly his chakra was rolling through him like waves within a Typhoon, threatening to wash out over the edges of his control.

He barely heard Bonjin ask, "Is there anything else you'd like to try?" to which he shook his head and returned to his seat. He was silent and still as he focused on settling the churning chaos within him. It was hard, but he knew that if he lost it, he wouldn't get it back until he passed out. It didn't help that he was terrified of the horrible, burning pain. He took deep, slow breaths and envisioned the calm, glassy water of his family's Cove. This hadn't happened in years. He wasn't a baby anymore and he _would not _loose control.

Slowly his chakra stopped moving and he came back to himself just on time to see that the boy who teased him was at the front of the class. The boy cried out, "_Ice Release: Ice Pillar Jutsu_!" and sure enough, a small pillar of ice shot out of the floor. The other kids 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed, and a few even applauded. Kisame, feeling exhausted, just curled his arms on the desk and buried his face in them so he didn't have to see the boy's self-satisfied expression.

"That's Inari Tsurara," Shun whispered at him. "His head seems even bigger than yours."

Kisame ignored him and prayed for the day to end.

* * *

Things got even worse once school was let out. As Kisame walked out of the building to where he would be picked up, he hoped that Inari would go home with his brother like he did yesterday.

No such luck.

Leaning against the railing was Inari and two other boys, and Inari was saying, "Yeah, I have to wait for my Mom today because my brother is staying late to train. Did you know there's like, a hundred kids in his class? I wonder why we've got so few?"

One of the other's said, "I heard it's because our sensei's real picky. He got in trouble for not letting more in."

"And I heard that 'Bonjin' isn't even his real name!" piped in the third.

"Then what is his name?"

The boy shrugged. "No one knows..."

Kisame decided he was going to sit at the bottom of the stairs today, well away from these three. He hoped they wouldn't notice him as he walked by.

"Hey! _Kisame!" _He heard his name sneered, but pretended he didn't. His escape path was cut off however, when the boys got in front of him before he could reach the stairs. "What's the matter, Fish-Face?" said Inari, "Too high and mighty to talk to the rest of us?"

Kisame stared at him. He was much taller and more impressive looking, with his narrow face, stone-grey hair, and icy blue eyes. The other students who were still milling around were watching now, and Kisame really wanted out of there.

"Well come on," the bully pressed. "Why don't you say something, or do you even know how to talk?"

Kisame took a step back as he worked to stop his chakra from unsettling again.

Unfortunately Inari misinterpreted this and said, "Aww, are you scared. Why don't you attack me then, or try a _jutsu_ that works? You're supposed to be the strongest kid in the class, but that doesn't help if you're a moron."

Just when he thought he was going to loose it, Shun's voice entered the fray from behind him. "You shouldn't insult people like that," he said dully. "It might come back to you one day."

"Who asked you, Whitey?"

Shun blinked at him. "That's a rather weak taunt. You should try making fun of less obvious things than my hair color. If you increase your vocabulary and aim for something more personal, you'll do much better." They all stared at him, trying to figure out if this was meant as an insult or honest advice, when he looked past them. "Well, my sister is here. See you all tomorrow." With that he skirted around the bullies and left poor Kisame alone with them once more.

Kisame was loosing hope, but as he followed Shun with his eyes he spotted his mother. Taking advantage of the fact that Inari's group was still confused, he dodged around them and ran down to her.

"There you are, Squid-Bait," she greeted cheerfully. She frowned when he wouldn't look up at her or respond.

* * *

Hisato was sitting in the living-area (now clean once more), and enjoying tea as Fusao went over various items concerning the clan's safety and funds.

This man was middle aged, with the same pale skin, dark eyes, royal blue hair, and gills as the clan leader. His voice droned on in the fashion of someone who takes things much too seriously, and yet Hisato managed to follow his words without falling asleep. He even made a comment here and there.

"Hey Fish-Freak! I'm home!" The sound of Uni's voice and her slamming of the door officially interrupted Fusao's boring monologue. When she found the two men, she glared at him with the snarl she saved only for those she _really_ disliked.

His wide, dark eyes glanced over her dismissively, but he rose and said, "I would like to excuse myself. May we continue this later tonight?"

Hisato rose as well and smiled kindly. "Of course, Fusao."

Fusao bowed deeply. "Thank you, father." He gave Uni nothing more than a cold look on his way out.

Before she could comment on his presence, Hisato asked, "And how was Kisame today?"

"Not as bad as yesterday, but something's wrong."

"Oh?"

She crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "He barely said two words the whole way home, and he wouldn't tell me why."

"Where is he now?"

"Down at the Cove with Tenma."

Hisato nodded. "Very well," he said. "I'll go speak to him."

He was caught by surprise when Uni suddenly exploded. "Of course you will!" she growled, pacing. "And he'll tell you everything! Why can't he tell _me, _huh?! Why can't he talk to _me_?! I'm his mother damn it!"

He observed her carefully and said, "Uni, you have many strengths, but emotional issues aren't one of them."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" she hissed.

"What would you do if his day was so bad that he starts crying?"

"...I'd probably tell him to suck it up and stop sniveling," she answered honestly. He stared at her with his knowing eyes and she lowered her head, crestfallen. "I'm a horrible mother..."

"You are _not_." He gathered her in his arms and sighed as she melted against his chest. "You have been taught to deal with these things in a way that is, unfortunately, not conductive with children, but you are wonderful with Kisame in other ways. You're the fun one, remember? I envy you for that."

She squeezed him around the middle and said, "Just make sure he's okay."

He squeezed her back, then let go, gave her a quick kiss, and headed out of the house towards the ravine at the back of the valley.

As he walked through it, the wind moaned overhead, sending his hair and cloak aflutter. After a short stretch it opened out into Hoshi Cove, a sacred expanse of ocean that was protected by a circular wall of sharp rocks and a powerful tribe of nin-sharks. On the beach was a small wooden shrine. Next to this sat a beautiful, pale woman who's long black hair fell like ink, and who payed him no mind.

Beyond her was the water. There was no tide in this place, so the surface was as still and clear as glass. As he focused his chakra in his feet and walked across, he could look down and see the magnificent reef and a million different species of fish going about their mysterious lives.

Kisame was a little ways out. It was a testament to his control that he was laying stretched out on his stomach, his arms crossed under his chin, casting not a ripple as he stared at the world below him. Hisato sat with his legs crossed next to the tiny figure.

"I take it you had a bad day?"

"That boy made fun of me again. Called me 'Fish-Face,'" Kisame answered glumly.

Hisato's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Your mother calls you things like that all the time."

Kisame pushed himself up on his elbows to better see his father. "But she's _Mom_! She calls everything names..."

_At least he knows the difference_, thought Hisato as he asked, "Is that all that happened?"

"No..." The boy laid back down. "He called me a 'moron' too, but I deserved that..."

"Oh?"

Kisame continued to stare down as he relayed the whole 'Water Clone' fiasco. He never noticed that his father was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Oh child," said Hisato, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "You're going to make mistakes like that all the time. I know I did when I was young. That's what _learning_ is for." The child didn't respond to this, so he stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "What if I told you that being a Hoshigaki means one day you will never have to worry about not having water again?"

Kisame eyed him curiously. "Huh?"

He smiled and said, "There is a technique that few except our clan can master. One that allows us to turn our chakra into water."

The boy sat up eagerly then. "Really?! Can you teach it to me?"

"When you are ready."

His face fell. He knew that meant 'not now.'

Hisato chuckled knowingly and said, "I'm sure you could do it just fine, but there's a reason only the Hoshigaki should even attempt it. Anyone else wouldn't have enough chakra. Right now, you're levels are too low. You'd kill yourself."

"But I have the most chakra in my class. Bonjin-sensei said so. He said it's why I'm blue" He missed the sly, pleased look that crossed his father's face.

"Patience, my son," said Hisato. "We are a long lived clan, so there's no reason to rush. Now, how about we go practice your sword-work a bit before dinner?"

Kisame was on his feet in an instant. "Okay! Come on, let's go!"


	4. Shark Face

Kisame knew he was breaking one of his fathers deepest rules, but at nine years old his curiosity could stand it no longer. It was early morning. Hisato was at a clan meeting, and with no reason to carry a weapon while in the Hoshigaki compound, the sacred sword leaned against it's designated spot on the wall. There would never be a better chance. Tentatively the boy reached a hand towards the bandaged blade as he knew better than to try the hilt, to try and claim the sword.

He held his breath the last few inches and then his fingers were against the pristine, white cloth. Immediately his arm started going numb as he felt his chakra being sucked away, but he let it. He had plenty to spare.

Then something changed. Instead of leaving him, the chakra was flowing in; chakra completely unlike his own. It moved through him, through his body as though curious about him.

"Samehada?" Kisame pondered to himself.

The alien chakra paused and then formed itself into a statement he didn't understand how he could understand. _You are not Hisato._

His jaw dropped at this. "I... I'm his son, Kisame," he managed to stammer.

_Ah... that explains it, _the sword seemed to say. _Your chakras are similar. Is Hisato dead?_

"No," Kisame answered. "I just-" but he never got to finish. As soon as the syllable left his mouth, the chakra withdrew and four razor sharp blue scales burst from the wrappings.

Kisame cried out, and would have stood there in shock if instinct hadn't kicked in. He leaned to the left, turning away from the scales so they breezed by him. Still one managed to catch his right shoulder. It _was_ aiming for his heart.

Before he knew what happened, he had his back against the opposite wall and was staring between the sword and the blood now rapidly soaking his shirt.

It wasn't that bad. His mom would be able to take care of it in no time. Then it sunk in that he would have to explain this to her.

"Aw crap..."

* * *

"Hold still!"

"Ow! _Mom,_ I can do it myself," Kisame complained. He managed to escape punishment so far by feeding her a story about practicing his sword-work with a Water Clone, and making the mistake of trying to block a blow with his shoulder. Now his mother was hovering over him with a jar of her foul smelling disinfectant balm.

She glared at him. "Why did you even come to me, then?"

Kisame, who had spent the last five minutes bristling, deflated and stared pleadingly up at her. It was look she couldn't resist.

"Ugh, fine." She pressed the jar into his hands. "But you're letting _me_ heal it. You don't need to be half asleep during class."

"Sure," He said as he wrenched the jar open. His nose wrinkled at the scent of rotten seaweed, but he dipped his fingers in none the less.

Uni watched her son apply the salve to his open, angry wound like it was nothing. Honestly... she'd never seen a kid with such a high pain tolerance. Probably had to do with his chakra. When he was finished she took the jar back from him and returned it to one of the many shelves in her lab.

The room was clinical grey, and yet the sliding panels that led outside were all open, giving it a light and airy feel. There were tanks filled with poisonous fish and aquatic plants. The shelves and cabinets contained jars of slimy things, prepared samples, and completed experiments that were labeled in some indecipherable code. When Kisame came in Uni was sitting at her work bench, where she had been examining proteins under her microscope, but now she got up to collect a bottle of distilled water from a small bar fridge, gesturing for her son to take the chair.

After twisting the cap off, she poured the water over her open palm. Instead of spilling everywhere, it collected into a small bubble - like a miniature Water Prison - that grew steadily until the bottle was empty. She turned her hand over. The bubble remained suspended.

Kisame tilted his head away as she pressed it against his injury. It slid easily beneath his skin, spreading throughout his muscle under her direction, and the sensation caused Kisame to squirm in discomfort. She concentrated on the water and used it as a channel to sense the damage.

Uni closed her eyes and frowned. It could have been worse. The cut was clean, and nowhere near anything vital. Focusing the water she began to repair the damage, not just to skin and muscle, but also to tendons, bone, and blood vessels almost on a cellular level. The technique was one of her own invention, and was as effective as any medical jutsu, though healing was not what she normally used it for.

In less than a minute it was done. She drew the water back out of her son, walked to a sink, and let it splash down the drain. When she turned back to him, she had a fist on her hip and that look in her eye that meant Big Trouble.

Kisame lowered his head and fidgeted his fingers together, trying to look contrite. "I know what I did was really stupid, and I promise It won't happen again."

Uni nodded and said, "Yeah. Next time there won't_ be_ a next time."

He gulped, then took the risk. "We can still go chakra surfing this weekend... can't we?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she smirked with her pointy teeth in a way that would put the fear of death into anyone outside her family. "If you manage not to act like an idiot for the rest of the week, than I'll think about it."

This made the boy beam at her with a big toothy grin. 'I'll think about it' with Uni usually meant 'yes.' All he had to do was avoid anything as stupid as trying to touch Samehada, and that was about as stupid as you could get. He couldn't believe how easy he was getting off.

Uni coughed, feeling pleased and embarrassed at the same time. "Well, go clean up and get your tail fin to school before you're late!"

"Yes Mom!" He leapt up and ran from the room before his luck ran out, but he still called a brief, "Thanks," behind him.

* * *

He was running full tilt through the Village, already a few minutes late. The heaviness of his backpack and the weights on his arms and legs did nothing to slow him down and he briefly thought it might be time to beg father into increasing them. With his mind wandering, he didn't notice the little boy who was standing unmoving outside the academy until it was almost too late.

At the last second he vaulted over the other kid, who didn't even flinch or duck. He knew the kid. Everyone knew him. He was like a lost, mute little zombie, always standing there and staring at the Academy... and who could blame him after what happened to his clan.

"Sorry!" Kisame called back even as he continued across the grounds.

He flew up the front steps two at a time, ripped open the doors and thundered down hallway after hallway, only slowing once he reached the door to his class.

Cautiously he slid it open half an inch and peered inside. He was hoping to see that Bonjin-sensei wasn't there yet, or that there was an opportunity to sneak in, but what met him instead caused him to throw the door open and look around in confusion.

Empty! Where was everyone?

Slowly he walked in and looked around. Empty seats, empty teacher's desk, empty chalkboard... no wait! There in the bottom corner by the door was some writing in Bonjin's hand. As he read the white on green that he suddenly remembered from the day before, the blood drained from his face.

_Chakra training tomorrow. _

_Remember to meet at the pond._

_Don't be late!_

The teacher in the next room was suddenly interrupted by a frustrated wail. She stuck her head out to admonish whoever it was, but instead got her hair rearranged in the wake of a blue blur dashing back out of the school.

When he finally found his class standing around one of the many large ponds on the grounds, Bonjin was just finishing up his explanation of water walking. "Mr Hoshigaki, glad you could join us," the teacher cheerfully crowed. "So glad in fact, that I'd like to see you again after school."

The other students snickered as Kisame groaned, but he accepted it. It was his fault for being late.

Shun materialized beside him and leaned in to whisper, "What took you so long?"

Kisame couldn't just tell him what had transpired with Samehada, so he simply said, "Later." He would use the same lie he had told his mother.

"Now then," Bonjine-sensei said over their brief conversation, "You should all have a clear grasp of the concept. Do we have any volunteers?"

Immediately Kisame lowered his head and tried to will himself invisible. After that first disastrous class two years ago, he had only volunteered himself a couple more times before completely giving up. Without fail, every time he was required to do something practical in class he would humiliate himself. Even things he could do as easily as breathing at home often ended in disaster. He quickly learned to keep his head down and his mouth shut if he wanted to avoid attention.

Unfortunately his sensei rarely went along with this plan. When no one seemed eager to be the first to get wet he said, "Mr Hoshigaki, seeing as you know this so well that you didn't need to be here on time, why don't you give us the first demonstration.

Kisame shrunk even further into his jacket. Why didn't things ever go his way? Still, he didn't argue and made his way through the students to the edge of the water.

_You'll do fine, _he thought to himself. _You've been doing this for years. You'll do fine._

As he passed Inari, the taller boy whispered, "How are you going to screw _this_ up? Huh, shark-face?"

Though he pretended to ignore the jab, it severely threw him off. By the time he took his first step onto the water, he was so nervous that he could barely keep afloat. A few more steps and he started to sink. Realizing this, he put his hands together in the water sign and pushed more chakra to his feet, but that only caused it to bubble alarmingly.

He was starting to panic, which Bonjin caught. Stepping forward, the teacher said, "Let up a little, you're overdoing -"

BOOM!

The children shrieked. Most of the water in the pond jumped straight up and then splashed back down, drenching the kids at the front and coating the rest in mist.

When it cleared, Kisame was gone.


End file.
